India-Russia summit: Issues of regional, global interest to figure in talks between Modi, Putin

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia for an upcoming summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Friday said issues of regional and global interest will be on the agenda of the talks between PM Modi and President Vladimir Putin.

In a media briefing here, he also said the annual India-Russia Summit is taking place after three years, and "we attach great importance to it".

Prime Minister Modi will pay a two-day visit to Russia from July 8 to 9 to hold the 22nd India-Russia summit that will review the entire range of multi-faceted ties between the two countries.

After concluding his trip to Russia, Modi will travel to Austria, which will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in 41 years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

It will be Modi’s first trip to Russia in nearly five years. His last visit to the that country was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.

Issues of regional and global interest will be part of the agenda in the talks between the two leaders, Kwatra said.

The India-Russia summit will provide opportunities to discuss a whole range of bilateral ties, including in defence, investment, education and culture, and people-to-people ties, he said.

Kwatra added that both sides are working on a series of outcome documents in connection with the 22nd India-Russia Summit.